A top Barcelona defender officially suffers a major blow, sustaining a serious muscle injury that could sideline him for months.
The highly touted talent, part of Deco’s meticulous youth development pipeline, was expected to flourish in his new surroundings, gaining the crucial senior experience needed to accelerate his first-team integration under Hansi Flick’s demanding regime.
Instead, a promising outing ended in agony after just over an hour, with medical assessments confirming a tear that could bench him for weeks and disrupt Barcelona’s long-term planning for their defensive future.
This setback hits hard for a club relying on La Masia gems to navigate financial constraints while chasing domestic and European glory.
The player is Andrés Cuenca, the 18-year-old left-footed centre-back who joined Sporting Gijón on a six-month loan from Barça Atlètic to sharpen his game ahead of a potential Camp Nou breakthrough, as reported by the official Real Sporting statement.
Extended to 2027 before departing, Cuenca impressed in spurts for Barcelona’s reserves and was eyed as a Pau Cubarsí partner, blending composure, aerial strength, and ball-playing poise reminiscent of a young Ronald Araújo.
His debut arrived in Gijón’s gritty 2-1 victory over Huesca, where he slotted in confidently, dominating possession and challenges until the 64th minute.
A routine clearance then betrayed him—his left hamstring gave way, forcing a pained exit and scans revealing the muscle damage.
Gijón’s medical team reports Cuenca has begun rehab, but the injury’s severity points to a multi-week layoff, potentially wiping out a third of his loan window.
For a prospect whose value hinges on minutes—vital for mastering Flick’s high-line tactics—this is a devastating interruption.
Barcelona stood firm against permanent bids from lower-division suitors, banking on his summer return as a polished asset in their self-sustaining model amid injury woes to stars like Christensen.
With Flick’s quadruple push ramping up, prospects like him must rebound fast—failure risks stalling another golden generation talent.
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